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So how _does_ the plastic get into the ocean? Clearly litter washes into rivers during storms and thus ends up in the ocean, but that seems like it must be a re

So how _does_ the plastic get into the ocean? Clearly litter washes into rivers during storms and thus ends up in the ocean, but that seems like it must be a relatively insignificant source. Are there countries who are dumping barges full of trash out at sea? Which ones?

soperj 9y ago
Victoria BC actually pipes all sewage right out to sea currently. So anything w/ micro plastic beads gets sent right into the ocean. This is also the case with the storm drainage system, so anything left on the road also right into the ocean.
- irrational 9y ago
  Source? That's crazy if true. I assumed only poor 3rd world countries still did stupid stuff like that.
  - soperj 9y ago
    https://thetyee.ca/News/2015/01/26/Victoria-Raw-Sewage-Dumping/ https://thetyee.ca/News/2015/01/26/Victoria-Raw-Sewage-Dumpi... There's one for you. People here actively protest against building a tertiary system for tax reasons and because they think they don't need it (there's actually a lot of people who even think that it's less environmentally friendly to have it dealt with on land). It's been an on going debate for over 30 years. These people also see themselves as "green".
dflock 9y ago
There is a lot of macroscale dumping of garbage - and the plastic stuff just accumulates over a time, until sunlight and wave action break it down. However, a lot of this plastic _starts_ as micro-plastic particles: microbeads from cosmetics and polyester fibres from clothes (water from washing machines is full of this) - these are in household waste water and often end up in the ocean.
- kpil 9y ago
  Probably mostly from clothes and possibly from ropes, but I'm just guessing that plastic microbeads haven't been around that long. It seems as such a fantastically stupid idea.
DanBC 9y ago
(What other people said, plus) When you wash clothing that contains artificial fibres you dump a load into the water system, and depending where you live some will end up in the sea. All those acrylic fleeces and blankets shed thousands of particles each wash. Some cosmetics contain plastic microbeads, and when you use those and wash them off you dump the microbeads into the water system.

soperj 9y ago

Victoria BC actually pipes all sewage right out to sea currently. So anything w/ micro plastic beads gets sent right into the ocean. This is also the case with the storm drainage system, so anything left on the road also right into the ocean.

irrational 9y ago
Source? That's crazy if true. I assumed only poor 3rd world countries still did stupid stuff like that.
- soperj 9y ago
  https://thetyee.ca/News/2015/01/26/Victoria-Raw-Sewage-Dumping/ https://thetyee.ca/News/2015/01/26/Victoria-Raw-Sewage-Dumpi... There's one for you. People here actively protest against building a tertiary system for tax reasons and because they think they don't need it (there's actually a lot of people who even think that it's less environmentally friendly to have it dealt with on land). It's been an on going debate for over 30 years. These people also see themselves as "green".

dflock 9y ago

There is a lot of macroscale dumping of garbage - and the plastic stuff just accumulates over a time, until sunlight and wave action break it down. However, a lot of this plastic _starts_ as micro-plastic particles: microbeads from cosmetics and polyester fibres from clothes (water from washing machines is full of this) - these are in household waste water and often end up in the ocean.

kpil 9y ago
Probably mostly from clothes and possibly from ropes, but I'm just guessing that plastic microbeads haven't been around that long. It seems as such a fantastically stupid idea.

DanBC 9y ago

(What other people said, plus) When you wash clothing that contains artificial fibres you dump a load into the water system, and depending where you live some will end up in the sea. All those acrylic fleeces and blankets shed thousands of particles each wash. Some cosmetics contain plastic microbeads, and when you use those and wash them off you dump the microbeads into the water system.